Page 360 - Reciprocating Compressors Operation Maintenance

Preventive Maintenance for Reciprocating Compressors 345

information, including design and operational activities, flow through
this system or equipment "expert," who refines the maintenance proce-
dures for those systems under his jurisdiction.

MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENT

Problems associated with machine uptime and quality output involve
many functional areas. Many people, from plant manager to engineers
and operators, make decisions and take actions that directly or indirectly
affect machine performance. Production, engineering, purchasing, and
maintenance personnel as well as outside vendors and stores use their
own internal systems, processes, policies, procedures, and practices to
manage their sections of the business enterprise. These organizational
systems interact with one another, depend on one another, and constrain
one another in a variety of ways. These constraints can have disastrous
consequences on equipment reliability.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

An effective maintenance program should meet the following objectives:

• Unplanned maintenance downtime does not occur
»Condition of the equipment is always known
• Preventive maintenance is performed regularly and efficiently
• Maintenance needs are anticipated and planned for
• Maintenance department performs specialized maintenance tasks of
the highest quality
• Craftsmen are skilled and participate actively in decision-making
process
• Proper tooling and information are readily available
»Replacement parts requirements are fully anticipated and compo-
nents are in stock
• Maintenance and production personnel work as partners to maintain
equipment
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Preventive maintenance programs must reconcile the conditions that
exist in the environment of the installation with the demands of the sys-